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Bike scheme hits Sutton’s streets


Pedal power: Andy Street tests one of the new bikes at the entrance to Sutton Park


The first bikes for the new West Midlands Cycle Hire scheme are on the streets following the launch of a trial in Sutton Coldfield. This limited trial will feature five docking


stations and 25 bikes placed in and around the town centre for the next month to allow a group of selected volunteers to road test the bikes, docks, locks and mobile app technology. The scheme has been launched by Transport


for West Midlands (TfWM) to encourage more people to become active and healthy and offer a convenient and more environmentally-friendly alternative to the car for shorter journeys. That will also help support WM2041 – A


Programme for Implementing an Environmental Recovery, which aims to see the region become net zero carbon within the next 20 years.


‘It is great to see the docks and bikes finally on the streets of Sutton Coldfield’


From Monday 8 March the distinctive grey and


green West Midlands Cycle Hire bikes will be available to the public in Sutton Coldfield. It will be rolled out in Coventry, Birmingham,


Wolverhampton, Stourbridge, West Bromwich, Solihull and Walsall by the end of July. Customers will hire the bikes via an app and it


will cost £1 to unlock a bike and 5p per minute after that. This means a 20 minute cycle will cost £2 and an hour £4. West Midlands mayor Andy Street said:


“Lockdown has shown there is a huge appetite for cycling among the people of the West Midlands as many took the opportunity to get out and about on two wheels. It is great to see the docks and bikes finally on the streets of Sutton Coldfield and arriving across the wider West Midlands over the next few months.” The scheme is run by Serco, operator of


London’s famous Santander Cycles, under a five- year contract from TfWM, which is part of the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA). The bikes are made by Pashley’s in Stratford-


upon Avon and the docking stations and locks are also manufactured in the West Midlands. A contribution towards the set up costs of


£5m has been provided from the Department for Transport’s Transforming Cities Fund allocation to TfWM. The Royal Sutton Coldfield Town Council is contributing £61,000 towards the costs of the Sutton Coldfield scheme.


Outstanding support: Richard Gill


Video editor turned musician releases single


A video editor from Sutton Coldfield-based Ark Media has brought his passion for music to the fore during the pandemic with the release of a new single. Joe Grayston, who has worked at Ark for five


years, has produced and released his single ‘Had One Wish’. Before the pandemic Joe would DJ at venues


such as Amusement 13, The Mill and Monastery in Birmingham, playing mainly house music. But with live performances on hold, he took


Master musician: Joe Grayston


the opportunity to write his own music. The track and its accompanying video are described as having “a real pop vibe with a whimsical feel”.


Joe started his career at Ark Media as a 17


year old apprentice and managing director Phil Arkinstall – who is also Sutton Coldfield Chamber president – said his creativity stood out.


Phil said: “When Joe applied for the role five


years ago it was obvious he had a creative streak. He had already amassed 12,000 subscribers on his YouTube channel, JGEdits, with over three-million total video views so not only did he understand the video editing process but distribution too. “As an employer it’s these extras that really


show what skills and creativity you can bring to the company and ultimately to our client work.”


March 2021 CHAMBERLINK 41


New teaching school hub is approved


The Arthur Terry Learning Partnership has been appointed as a teaching school hub for North Birmingham. The multi-academy trust - which is headquartered in Sutton Coldfield and comprises 14 schools in Birmingham, North Warwickshire and Staffordshire - will be one of the country’s 87 teaching school hubs (TSHs). The hubs will be school-led centres of


excellence for teacher and leadership training and development, focussing in particular on the Department for Education’s (DfE) ‘golden thread’ of ITT, the Early Career Framework and National Professional Qualifications. The ATLP was invited by the DfE, along


with other high performing schools, rated good or outstanding, to apply to become teaching school hubs. Richard Gill, CEO of the Arthur Terry


Learning Partnership and chair of the Teaching Schools Council, said: “We are thrilled to have been designated a teaching school hub. “This successful appointment means that


we can continue to provide high quality school to school support, teacher training and the professional development of staff. “We look forward to working with


schools and partners across the region.”


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